Promoting Agroecology & Food System Transition in the Northern Upland

Prepared By Nguyễn Thị Trang – PHANO

On June 13, 2025, the ALiSEA network joined the regional dialogue: “Promoting Agroecology and Food System Transition in the Northern Upland of Vietnam”, held in Moc Chau, Son La province. The event was organized by the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (ISPAE) and CIRAD, with support from AFD, the European Union, and FFEM under the ASSET project.

The workshop brought together around 50 participants (24 men and 26 women), including representatives from ISPAE, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La and Dien Bien provinces, as well as cooperatives, businesses, research institutes, and members of the ALiSEA network: PHANO, RUDEC, Agritage Vietnam, FAVRI, and CASRAD.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Vu Hoang Quang, Deputy Director of ISPAE, emphasized that: Agroecology is an irreversible direction amid climate change, food insecurity, and natural resource degradation. He recommended that transforming the food system requires a multi-actor, multi-level engagement process.

Dr. Vũ Hoàng Quang, Deputy Director of ISPEA

The program featured two sessions and nine technical presentations from ASSET experts, CIRAD, CIP, CASRAD, and international partners. Topics included intercropping models (macadamia and coffee), crop-livestock integration, territorial branding, local agri-food market opportunities, and eco-agritourism development. Discussions highlighted practical insights, enabling policies, and scaling strategies to support agroecological transitions aligned with regional development.

In his concluding remarks, Prof. Dr. Dao The Anh – Director of the ASSET project – emphasized that ASSET’s greatest value lies in creating a genuine policy forum for agroecological transformation. He underlined the scalability of intercropping and agroforestry models on sloped land in northern uplands, and called for the completion of technical materials for wider dissemination. He also advocated for establishing a agroecology network in Moc Chau with clear criteria and operating principles – a practical step toward building a fair and sustainable food system.